Kaleidoscope
by k1216
Summary: Collection of oneshots told from Zero's POV, all themed with a color. There's angst, fluff, cheesiness and  zeki. Just exploring ideas and concepts, trying to see what's going on in that grumpy ex-human head.
1. RED

Author's note: Yo. I'm about as dead as you can be (minus the rotting and decaying corpse thingie, that is). People following me on dA already know that it's my graduation year, so I'm busy with school stuff. And I also hit a writer's block this autumn with my story _Perfect Day_, so I tried writing some oneshots to get stuff out of my head. It's not necessarily good stuff.

This is a collection of oneshots, all told from Zero's POV, all starting from a color theme. They usually follow a chronological logic and follow the main story lines of VK, but without looking at all the ''turning points scenes''. I don't think it's good, but I thought I'd just try to get bad ideas out of my head and keep the good stuff for my other story. There's a lot of angst or fluff/cheesiness, depending on the color or my mood that day.

Good reading!

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><p>RED<p>

I'm lying down in it. Arms spread, eyes staring at the ceiling, looking at it but not seeing. Just looking. There is no sound other than my breathing and I wish I could hear more than just myself, to have the proof that I am not alone. But I am.

Utterly and ultimately alone.

I don't move. Too scared to move, scared of something but I don't know why. I don't know why because Death has already come by to harvest the lives of my dear ones. There should be nothing to fear now. There's just me left.

I don't look around; I know what's around me. More red. I feel it, that disgusting warmth seeping from my neck, on the floor. And more than feel, I can actually smell that perfume that makes flowers wilt and little kids cry. It's putrid, it's heavy, it's red. And it's calling to me in ways I wish it never did.

My red flows in a silent, weak flow. It's only two little rivers, calm but alive, that throws itself in a dead ocean.

_Mom. Dad. I wish I had gone with you._

It's a night that doesn't want to end. _How I wish for an end._

And as I stare at that ceiling, I think about her.

Her eyes, just as red as the ocean beneath me. She was the Reaper, the Inevitable, the End. Her lips, tainted by my red. Smiling at me. Smiling at them. There was no madness in that smile. No malice, no hate, no nothing. Just satisfaction, that unholy satisfaction that is granted by the accomplishment of revenge.

And how I envy her. I want what she had.

**Revenge**

I want back from her what she took from me.

**Life**

I want for her what only I should give her.

**Death**

And that color that suited her so well, I want it to bloom like flowers in May all over her kimono, for I have a thirst for it now. It's there, I know it is. It's hiding well for now but the beast has already made its nest in my heart, clawing it's way through it, gouging out my humanity.

She took too much from me. Everything. She left only small crumbs after her nighttime meal. She took my mirror image from me, my other half, my heart. She didn't have to force him either, he was more than happy to watch her drink her fill. And like her, he left me only one thing.

A smile. A joyous, satisfied smile.

_Ichiru..._

She left with him. And here I am, alone with my red.

So I'll wait for the day to come. A day that seems as far away as the morning that will come after this night as I lie on my back. I'll keep fighting the red away until the night where the Reaper will come again to take the two of us away.

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><p>Author's note: It's sure to be filled with errors. I typed that on my ipad, which means I didn't have an automatic corrector. I just checked Google Translate once in a while. It's the same with the following chapters.<p>

It was very short, but you'll see the following oneshots are longer. (1K+)

Review if you have time, I'm not too busy to answer if you have questions or if you just wanna say hi.


	2. PINK

Author's note: Here comes the fluff, in all it's cheesy glory.

Enjoy the pink miasma, it's all sticky and it attaches to you to never let go.

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><p>PINK<p>

That's what my self-inflicted wounds already look like as I stare at the mirror. Little lines crisscrossing on the left side of my neck, where that woman bit me. It's already healing, abnormally fast. It tells me over and over that I am no longer a part of humanity. I'm as good as dead. I would be better dead.

I hear your feather-light footsteps in front of my new room. You think I didn't hear you so you stop, wondering what to do. I make it hard on you, right? I'm being so mean, withdrawn, rude and silent. I bark at you like a beaten dog does to humans who approach him with kindness. And you hesitate, it's normal. But you still come at me, it's abnormal.

" Hum, sorry to disturb you. I've brought you some cookies I've made with the Chairman's help." You are intimidated by the glare I send you as I put my hand over my wounds, hiding them, but you don't back down.

"I'll put them here, on the bedside table. They're a bit burnt but I'll try to do better next time." You put the plate on the table and then look up timidly at me. I look at you and I feel so hungry. Not for the cookies.

" Do you want a glass of milk with them?" _No, but do you have a glass of blood? Actually, make that a pint._

" Just leave already." It's no use trying to be gentle with me. There's nothing to get from me except bites, glares and cruel words. Once, I was a kind kid too. Now that kid is dead. I don't want to see the same thing happening to you.

You flinch under the harsh words. That's a normal reaction. That makes you human.

I divert my attention back to the mirror and then to the bandages at my feet. I still have to hide my unnatural healing. You've probably left me alone right now. Great, now I can take care of my neck properly. I don't want you to catch a glimpse of my healing wounds. I know it would scare you because **it scares me**.

But without a warning, I'm engulfed in something warm. So warm, it makes me want to cry in relief, as if that's what I've been waiting all along. And it's you. It's your arms, encircling my neck from behind, hugging me fiercely as if to say: " It's okay, I understand. I'm with you."

I can't move anymore. I don't want to move. Your tiny hands actually hold my heart and I never want you to let go. Ever. Without even realizing it, I feel my body releasing the tension it had kept inside its muscles and I lean back a little against you.

I look at us in the mirror and it's a bit weird to see someone else for a change reflected back in it. It's not just me. It's not just a reflection that reminded me of Ichiru. It's you and me and that makes all the difference.

I gaze at you and all I see is your big eyes filled with kindness, understanding and compassion. Yuuki, you are **pink**. Sweet and adorable, clumsy and caring. Your hair smells good, it's chases away the smell that hungered me seconds ago. Your skin is soft and I no longer feel the never-ending itchiness in my neck. You don't need words to soothe me; just having you by my side makes my heart go "thumpthumpthump".

You and I are alike but so different. You are pink, I'm red. We both lost our family. It's hard, it hurts. I know sometimes you are sad but you act strong and hide it. But the similarity ends here.

You are still capable of kindness. I've lost that ability that night.

Your heart is filled with light. Mine is overcome by darkness.

You don't hold a grudge against vampires. I'll never be able to let go of my hate.

You are human. I'm a vampire.

And that will never change.

Much too soon to my liking, you let go of me. You don't seem to notice my neck. I think you realize what you just did because you start blushing, shyness coloring your cheeks the most beautiful color I've ever seen. It's pink, like you.

" Ah, uh, sorry, I don't know why I did that. It was very instinctive and I hoped it would make you feel better. Well, it makes me feel better when someone does it to me so I thought that maybe-"

I cut short to your blabbering by patting gently the top of your head, the way you do to me when I can't fall asleep. It would be too weak to qualify your expression as "flabbergasted". I think I shocked you well beyond that. Your mouth hangs slightly open, out of words, and it opens and closes like that of a fish. You look a bit dumb but you make a cute dummy.

I guess that it's understandable that you feel so surprised. I've never initiated any kind of contact with you. You were always the one that took care of me, like that night when I appeared at your doorsteps. I was so numb. Paralyzed from the loss of my life, my heart and my family. You always gave me your help and your time.

"Thank you." I whisper softly, being honest to you for once. Thank you for everything. I can repeat it again ten thousands of billions of times, it will never be enough to make up for it. For your presence. Never.

The month following the red night had passed like a blur in my dead-mind-and-heart state, too lost in my own pain to notice you. The Chairman and you were there for me but I'd never felt so alone in my life.

But now, I know you're here with me.

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><p>Author's note: And that's enough pink for the rest of the year. Bleh. I like me some fluff, but not MY fluff. It just...doesn't touch me.<p> 


	3. YELLOW

Author's note: Clearly didn't know what to write with ''yellow'' as the theme. So sorry for that. I really feel like eating soup. It's ideal when it's cold outside, comfort food that is.

As you may have noticed, I'm not used to write at the 1st p.s, in the present tense. Which is why those oneshots are all just experiments. I have to verify them over and over, in case I wrote in 3rd p.s and past tense out of habit.

Disclaimer: Huh. If I was VK's owner, I wouldn't be here writing fics, I'd be writing the real deal.

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><p>YELLOW<p>

The sun is setting on the Academy. The sky is set ablaze yet there is no warmth. We're out on patrol earlier than the usual time because the Day Class had the afternoon off for "midterm exams studies" (yeah, right. They must be all watching movies on their miniature portable TV's, huddled under their covers) and went back after dinner to their dorms while the Night Class actually started classes earlier for their exams. So here we are, stuck with our prefect duties while everyone else was inside, within the protection of thick stonewalls.

It's cool outside and a bit windy. Actually, it doesn't bother me much but I see you shiver a little before wrapping your arms around yourself. The Chairman couldn't replace us to allow us study time because he was away. Something to do with the Association.

"Brrr, it's so cold outside. The other students are so lucky to stay inside." Standing on the rooftop, we have a good view of the leeches' class and you peer inside, probably trying to get a glimpse of Kuran Kaname, your benefactor.

As per usual, the vampire leader is standing by the window, leaning on one elbow and casually filling out his evaluation sheet. His brown locks hide his face but he seems to notice you looking at him because he looks back and smiles gently at you. Blushing, you do a small bow and turn your back to him, your face still red.

I don't want to admit it, but I'm jealous of the way he's able, in all his effortless charisma, to make you react like that. That bloodsucker shouldn't be allowed to see you this way.

"You look like a red traffic light, Yuuki." I look at you with apparent criticism as I say that.

You try to blame the temperature but you're way too obvious. "It's the wind! It's not my fault for feeling cold," you reply in exasperation.

"Hn. So you feel frozen each time you see Kuran. Maybe you'd be better off not seeing him then. You're going to catch a cold and I don't want your germs." I'm getting better and better at provoking you.

With a mix of embarrassment and annoyance, you walk back to my side and start punching my arm, calling me names as you do so. Things like "insensitive jerkwad", " stinking dumbass" and "idiot silver-haired mop" whizz by without really hitting the target. It's time for you to change your vocabulary because it doesn't do much damage at our age. But your punches are still as effective. It actually hurts quite a bit and I have to stop you before I lose the use of my left arm for the next 24-hours or so. I just push your forehead with the palm of my hand, holding you at arm-length. Your arms wave uselessly in front of you, unable to hit me anymore. The glare you send me almost makes me drop my hand in defeat. I don't want you to hate me, but sometimes I just can't help it. The looks you send him, the way you praise him and the knowledge that his name is always on the tip of you tongue are driving me mad with jealousy.

"Stop it, your Lilliputian fists can't hurt me anymore." I look sternly at you and you finally stop your movements, pouting at me. Instead of yelling at me for being "such a jerk", you change tactics and decide to give me the silent treatment. You stalk as far away from me as possible on the rooftop and turn your back on me, eyes staring off at the distant setting sun.

Oh for the love of -!

No way I'm falling for that.

Your incessant chattering is a bother anyway. You're always beside me, going "blablablaKaname-sempaiblablabla" and it gets on my nerves. So I'm all good with that new situation. I'm just gonna wait till you finally get that it's no use. I've always been the silent type.

...

It's not so very different from when Ichiru sulked, angry with me for whatever thing I had done to protect him that had bothered him. He used to be back to normal after I gave him a few hours of peace. I'll just have to wait.

...

I take the time to observe you from the corner of my eyes, silently admiring you. Your short brown hair billowing in the late-autumn winds beckons my fingers to caress them, to feel the softness of the strands brushing softly against your neck. Your unwavering eyes that I couldn't see watched over the forest below, alert for any disturbance on campus. You stand strong against the fierce invisible slashes of cold, hands folded into fists to warm them a little bit. I take unconscious steps toward you, ready to cover your shoulders with my coat to protect you from the weather's relentless assaults, but I stop myself when I remember why you distanced yourself from me.

You look back questioningly at me when you notice my movements. I don't know why, I feel embarrassed to be caught like that, unable to deny that yes, my subconscious hates being away from you. I swivel away quickly to hide my discomfort but a sudden dizziness hit me and I lose balance momentarily, having to hold on to the wall to avoid falling.

Before I can realize it, you're in front of me and you clamp your hand on my forehead. I don't even react, still not registering everything that was happening all at once. Symptoms like that are never good news. Am I suffering from a bout of bloodlust? If so, I have to get away from you, from the temptation and the thirst that will force me to surrender to the beast-

"Zero!"you try to get my attention but I'm not listening.

Let me go! I've got to get away from you, stop holding me so close! Still, my feet are stuck on the ground and my head is spinning…you let me go but I don't move away. I watch you take your hand away from my forehead and put it on yours.

"You're burning up!"

Huh?

" What are you talking about!" I take a step back and frown at you.

"Your forehead! It's boiling!" You add, just incase in didn't understand the first time. Yes, **that** I understand. But it's still impossible.

"I can't be ill, you know? My immune system is not the same, it's stronger than the average human-"

You cut me, visibly too upset to wait for me to finish my sentence. "I'm telling you that it's true! Look at how you're wearing your uniform, no wonder you've caught a cold! Even vampires can catch it if they're not careful, you know? Well, I've never seen Kaname-sempai ill but you're a different case."

You start to push me to the door leading inside the building.

"Let's go! As a fellow prefect, I cannot let you patrol in that state!"

I protest but you're as stubborn as a mule.

" Don't worry about the Night Class students, I'll find someone else to guard them!" Those idiots can protect themselves from the rabid fangirls without my help, thank you very much, but that's not why I don't want to leave prefect duties! It's you that is at risk of getting, I don't know, abducted by one of those pompous bloodsuckers.

"Like who?" I ask. It's precisely because there's only the two of us that can be guardians that there ain't more people on the Disciplinary Committee. And I would never leave you to patrol alone at night.

You tug me inside and I decide to follow you before you rip my sleeve. You start walking down the corridors and I don't oppose you. I just don't seem to have the strength anymore.

"I'll find someone." You repeat. Are you trying to convince yourself? It's getting ridiculous. If you don't want me to stay outside, we just have to patrol inside instead.

" Find someone for what?" A rough voice asks.

"Sensei!" It was the worst moment for that man to appear. "What are you doing at the Academy?" I watch the veteran hunter who glances up at us from the stairs.

" Heh, glad to see you too. That ponytailed fool was worried about leaving you both here alone since his meeting will probably end late tonight. He begged me to come over and assure your 'security'," he shook his head in disapproval at the ex-hunter's excessive fatherly worry, "though I'm sure, Zero, that you don't need my help for that. "

"Of course I don't." There. Now go away before the little chibi starts talking.

I have no such luck, per usual.

"He's lying! He's burning up with fever, he's not up for duty tonight!" You start shaking me as if too prove him that I was far too weak to resist a human girl, let alone a class of vampires. I pry your hands off me and you look upset.

"Please sensei, could you make up for us and guard the Night Class tonight? I'll take him back to the Chairman's house so he can rest." Stop doing the puppy eyes at him. It will never work on a veteran hunter.

Uh-Oh. He's looking at me carefully and I don't like what I can see in his eye. Worry? Come on, can't he see that it's not what I want? I shake my head vehemently but it seems that one eye isn't enough to make him notice my less-than-subtle silent message.

"Alright, little miss. Just get that dumb pupil of mine to rest and I'll take over things here."

No!

" Yes!" You look so happy to have won and you stick your tongue at me. You little minx!

And I thought my master was the one person who would understand me. What was it with adults that made them unable to comprehend younger people anymore? I'm absolutely seething inside; you can't imagine how I want to knock some sense in his tobacco-polluted mind. He's no better than the other old geezer.

You bow gratefully at him and start tugging me along the stairs. "Thank you sensei, I'll take good care of him."

We walk past him and I glare daggers at the traitor who sold me out to you. It seems like he finds the situation quite amusing. Patting my shoulder, he adds: " You'll thank me later." I only groan in return.

I resign myself and follow you outside. There's nothing I can do to make you change your mind now.

* * *

><p>"39.5 °C. You see? I was right." I guess you were. It's the first time I'm sick. Like, ever. Even back when I was human, I've never caught something like a common cold. Ichiru did, of course. I felt guilty to have such a great health that I could stay hours playing and training in the snow while his body had trouble with the slightest changes of temperature in the room.<p>

It's so ironic that I had to be turned into a vampire to experience what Ichiru lived with all day long. I didn't even believe it was possible for vamps to be ill...until now.

"Oh."

I don't react much to the number and it earns me a light hit on the shoulder. I protest against the bad treatment and scowl at you from underneath the covers." Oi, you're not supposed to be hitting sick people."

" Don't act like it's nothing, it's a very serious matter." You frown at me and readjust the bed sheets around me. I was lying in my old bed in the Chairman's house. You've dragged me here, threw me one of my old T-shirts and a pair of comfortable pants that you've found in my wardrobe and ordered me to get in my bed. Then you started playing mother hen with me, checking my temperature and making all kinds of scolding comments about my health condition.

"Okay...now let's see what we have here, " You take out a small purple bottle and proceed to examine it, "It says 2 spoons for an adult. It should do the trick." You pour the liquid in the silver spoon you have brought. It smells atrocious and I wrinkle my nose. Damn vampire sensitivity.

"Say ahhh..." You also open your mouth as you tell me so. Okay, so what's next, you'll make motor sounds with your mouth and make the spoon fly like a plane? I shoot a suspicious look at the liquid sparkling under the light of the dying sun. It doesn't look so terrible so I decide to stop acting like a 5-years-old brat. I prop myself on one elbow to be comfortable. I guess it's not too bad when you look so adorably concentrated on the task of feeding me-

Yuck!

I guess I made a face because you smirk.

" Here's the next spoonful!"

I try to keep my face straight but it's just too awful. I force the bitter syrup down my throat and it leaves a bad aftertaste in my mouth. Just like blood tablets but without the chalkiness and with this added disgusting sweetness. Ichiru, I think I understand you now. Maybe that was your real revenge: turning me into a vampire with enhanced senses so that when I fell ill, medicine would taste horrible. I think the fever makes me disillusioned because I can hear you laughing at me from wherever you're watching, dear brother. I feel weird; I'm not acting like myself, right? Must be the fever...

" I just had a good idea! Wait a sec', I'll be back soon. And stay in bed if you don't want me to kick your sorry butt right back in it!" You throw me one last severe glance before running out of my room. I don't attempt to move from my bed, I just feel too tired. I'm just glad that we're not in the boys' dormitory; I don't need any weird looks from the other students as you mother me. I guess that guy would have laughed, right? That Dorm president...

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><p>I must have dozed off because when I open my eyes, you're sitting down next to my bed. I didn't even hear you enter my room. You're not facing me but I can see you rummage through a bunch of things you have laid out on the floor.<p>

My own voice feels so heavy as I question your strange actions. " What's this?"

Startled by my sudden question, you turn your head around and smile apologetically. "Sorry, did I wake you up?"

"No, I just woke up on my own," I blink several times to chase away the tiredness that I can feel creeping at me before adding in that same sleepy drawl," I didn't even realize I was sleeping." I don't want to sleep yet. Not when you're there. I glance around the room and notice that it has become dark outside and that it's raining.

"What's the time?"

You lift your sleeve and check your analog wristwatch. It's made of silver and has a pink strap; it was the Chairman's gift to you on your sixteenth birthday. "7:23 pm. Sorry, I know I was away longer than I had expected."

I make a grab for one of those things you're holding but you pry it off my fingers. " Hey, don't take my pillow!" Grumbling, you replace it on top of the makeshift bed you've built on my floor.

" Planning on taking a nap here?" I ask you, frowning slightly.

You flash a wicked grin at me. "Hehe, I'm not taking just a nap, I'll be staying here for the night!" You then make a mock bow at me and add," Please look after me, Kiryuu-san."

" So that's your _good idea_?" I scold you for being so reckless.

''Why is it not good?'' you ask. I scoff internally. You're too naïve for your own good.

''You'll sleep in a guy's room? What would your dear savior say if he learns about it?'' Blushing furiously, you smack my head with the back of your hand and roll your eyes at me.

''Silly Zero, you're just my _brother._ What are you talking about? '' Ouch. I should have known the answer would hurt, really, what was I expecting. I have to gain a better control over my masochistic urges; my heart won't be able to take it all.

"Anyway, you'll just manage to catch a cold yourself if you sleep on the bare floor." I persist on throwing you out of my room.

You tut at me. " Of course not, I'm all prepared. I have my mattress that I dragged from my old room, a bunch of blankets and my pillow."

"But why?" I still don't know why you insist on staying here with me. I would be sleeping anyway.

You open your mouth as if you have something to say and I watch as you struggle internally. The answer came out stuttering, hesitant." W-Well, hum, there was one time when I was sick in bed, a gentle person came to watch over me when I was sleeping...and it made me feel happy to know that he was there the whole time." You look at me once then quickly look down again, your hair hiding your face, before continuing. " Maybe I'm being a bother but I also want to be by his side when he wakes up tomorrow."

I don't know what to say. What you just confessed to me is making me feel all weird inside and I reach with my hand to brush some hair strands out of the way, wanting to see your eyes. Your face is red and so is mine. You don't move an inch, surprised by my boldness. Embarrassed, I withdraw my hand quickly as if I had been burned, cursing mentally my instinctive gesture of affection.

I release the tension by sighing loudly." Okay, do what you want. You can sleep here." Still muttering about my own stupid, spontaneous affection, I bury myself back in my blankets, turning on my side to face the wall. I can feel my face burning red and I don't want you to see it. You just confirmed that you only see me as your brother, nothing more, and it wouldn't do us any good if you knew the truth about my feelings...

A sudden clap of hands makes me look over my shoulder, trying to see what you were up to now. "Okay!" you beam with determination and speak up enthusiastically, "I'm sure you must be hungry by now so I prepared us a little something to eat."

You rise from your little bundle of pastel-colored blankets and run downstairs. I can only hope you didn't start a fire in the kitchen while I was asleep or broke some china plates. I start worrying when I hear clattering noises but I nothing seems to break. Soon enough, I hear the soft sounds of your barefooted feet as you make your way back upstairs. I can smell the meal before you cross the threshold of my room and it smells delicious. An aroma that smells salty and homey...

"Tadaa~! I've made you noodle soup with chicken broth!" You put down a metal tray with two bowls filled with the yellow substance and spoons on the side of my bed. Plopping back down on your own bed, you start explaining to me how you've managed that exploit (yes, "managed" because it's an accomplishment in itself that you've prepared something that looks edible).

" The Chairman has once made this for me when I was ill; he calls that the Soup for the Sick!" It's originally the Chairman's recipe? Urgh, that can't be good for me.

Completely obvious of the look of distaste that appeared on my face at the mere mention of the Chairman's name, you continue on your explanations. ''He told me that it's magical and super effective to heal someone who has a cold. It didn't taste anything like magic but the next day, I was back on my feet." You have a look of total amazement and I can't help but want to facepalm myself. How silly can you get?

You bring your fist down on my bed in outrage. "Hey! I'm not silly! I was only seven!" Oops, did it slip out of my mouth?

"Sorry, sorry," I try to appease you but you still scowl at me, " but you know that it's just Lipton soup, right? You mix the preparation powder and the noodles in a casserole filled with boiling water-"

"Which is exactly what I did, Mister-Know-it-all!" You cut me mid-sentence and stick your tongue at me. Then, you dip a spoon in one of the bowl, blow on it and shove it right under my nose. "Now eat up!" I straighten up in my bed and eye suspiciously the contents of that silver spoon before allowing it to enter my mouth. A bit too salty, but it's warm and filling. The noodles are all right too.

"So?" You watch my face for any indication that would tell you what I thought of the soup but I don't give any. Your big, bright eyes sparkling with expectations urge me to answer. I have to fight the strong desire to tease you by making a disgusted face.

" It's good," I answer truthfully. "It tastes great. A bit salty but I like it that way," I add with a smile when I see you looking at me still unconvinced.

"Really?" I nod. " Well, I'm glad you do" Instinctively, you take another spoonful and bring it to my mouth. I stop your hand with mine, my fingers wrapping around your skinny wrist.

" Um, I think that I'm still able to feed on my own." It takes you a moment to notice what you were going to do before turning beet red and muttering a "sorry". You hand me the spoon and I take the bowl of soup with my other hand, settling it on my belly.

" And the last touch to the setting," you take out a matchbox from your coat pocket and light up a candle that you settle on my bedside table, " a natural source of light to soothe you. I'll go turn off the lights now." The lights go off and that suddenly makes me think of something.

"Yuuki, aren't you forgetting something?" You look around but you don't seem to notice so I point it out to you. " Look at what you're wearing. I'm sure you won't find it very comfortable to sleep in your school uniform."

Your eyes widen as you realize it and you slap your forehead. "Ah! You're right, I totally forgot. But I don't have my pj's! It's back at my dorm but.." You look pointedly at the rain pelting against my window. " Don't you have something in here that would do?" You rummage through my drawers and take out one of my long-sleeved cotton shirt. You shake it in the air to chase the non-existant dust from it then hurry up in the bathroom to switch clothes. I just continue eating the soup, enjoying the warmth of the bowl between my hands.

When you come back, I have to control the urge to stare, to devour you with my eyes. You, well, I guess we could say for once that you looked kind of ...sexy. I mean, the shirt is so big for you that it goes down to your knees and the sleeves are a couple of inches too long but the result is pretty alluring. I know you probably wear your black shorts underneath but still, a guy can dream. And the candlelit scenery makes highlights of flames in your hair. The whole light seems to have been aspired by your chocolate brown eyes that twinkled in the darkness, teasing me and making me feel hot all over...unless it was the fever. I wouldn't know the difference...

The sound of your metal spoon clanking against your bowl as you finish the soup brings back my attention to something less...dangerous. You stiffen a yawn and look at me before glancing down at your watch. "It's past eight. Maybe we should sleep, I'm sure that cold must have taken its toll on you." I can't agree more with you; my eyelids feel like they're made out of lead. We put our empty dishes on the tray and you bury yourself to your neck under the covers.

You become aware of the remaining half of the candlestick with its single flame of **yellow** light and you make a move to blow it but I stop you. "Leave it like that. It reminds me of what my mom used to do when me or my brother couldn't sleep," I stare at the flame, dancing to the rythm of a non-existant wind, and it's as if I'm a little boy all over again.

You don't say anything; just look at me with those eyes speckled with their own tiny sparks of fire. I don't know what you're thinking. Tentatively, you reach out to me with your slender fingers and I stretch out mines. This simple gesture conveys words we cannot say. We just hold hands with this feeling of platonic, innocent love. And when I fall asleep, I sense you next to me and I feel that whatever cold has taken hold of me, your gentle flames are melting it away. Slowly, but surely.

* * *

><p>When I wake up to the sunrays filtering through my window, the first thing I hear is your voice.<p>

"Hey Zero, it's a bright new day...Are you alright?" I look down at you, tangled in your covers, half of them thrown around on the floor. Your sleepy head is poking under one of them, looking at me with concern.

"Yes, I've had a good night of sleep." I answer back, finding myself surprisingly filled with renewed energy. It's been a while since the last time I had one, these days they're plagued with nightmares re-enacting that night where I lost everything.

"You see? That's because of that Soup for the Sick! I knew it worked!" You happily sink back your head under your covers, pushing your face back in your pillow.

Hum, I'm still skeptical about that whole magic commercial soup business, but I agree that there was something...magical last night. I glance at the burned candlestick, now just a puddle of colored wax on a plate, and I think I know what it was exactly. There's something glowing like a flame in your heart, Yuuki. I don't know why but it chased away the darkness and I'm acting like a moth attracted to that light.

Screw you, my pathetic heart. Screw that hopeless, cruel love. Damn it all, I know that I'm in love with you and I know that you're in love with him. I know all that but yet, I still insist on holding on to my foolish hope, no matter what pain it may bring me in the future.

The truth is, I don't mind burning in your fire if I can stay with you.


End file.
